Covered bridges

By Kathleen Scott, Special to the Express-News :
July 5, 2012

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Creeks and streams drain the hills of Vermont's Green Mountains. The constant flow of water wears granite boulders into smooth bedrock and gouges new banks during floods. Historians say the presence of rivers enabled settlement in Vermont and later brought prosperity as rivers were used to transport logs and produce power.

But rivers also divided the land, requiring bridges. Today, Vermont is famous for rural covered bridges crossing streams around the state. Many were built more than 100 years ago and now stand as weathered wooden reminders of the hardy and practical early Vermonters.

Covered bridges sheltered travelers during snowy winters, but more important, the covers sheltered the bridges, extending a span's useful life. Bridges were hard to build, but a cover was relatively easy to replace. Modern-day bridge lovers may debate the merits of appearance — open or closed, color, windows or no windows. But the time-worn structures spark imagination about life in harder days, drawing travelers to see the past through the bridges.

A weathered covered bridge crosses a branch of Saxtons River just off Townshend Road in Grafton. Beneath the bridge, the river runs brown and cold. The McWilliam Bridge is relatively new, built about 45 years ago. But the 62-foot span has the feel of time as builders used techniques and materials similar to old covered bridges in the area.

Vermont lost a number of covered bridges in 2011 in flooding from Hurricane Irene, but several historic bridges remain within an hour's drive of Grafton. For more bridges and pictures, visit virtualvermont.com/coveredbridges.